Tracy's Blog

Christmas is coming quickly and I am still caught up in Mary's reaction to the news that she was going to give birth to the Messiah.  Last week I said that the text ( Luke 1:39-45 ) didn't tell us why Mary went to visit Elizabeth.  While technically that is true... I was reading too small of a passage.  Earlier in Luke 1:36, Gabriel tells Mary, " Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month ." So, I think it is pretty safe to say that Mary went to visit Elizabeth because of Gabriel's news - her cousin who was unable to conceive is now well on her way to having a baby!  And it is during this visit with Elizabeth that Mary proclaims the words that are now known to us as the Magnificat or Mary's Song, Luke 1:46-55.   And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47       and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48  for he has been mindf...

At some point after hearing that she was to conceive and give birth to Jesus, God's Son, Mary leaves Nazareth to go see her cousin, Elizabeth.  It is a beautiful encounter when they meet with baby John leaping in his mother's womb at the sound of Mary's voice and Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, blessing Mary and being amazed that she would be able to welcome " the mother of my Lord " ( see Luke 1:39-45 ). Last week, I focused on Mary's faith-filled servant attitude that said, " Let it be to me according to your word " (Luke 1:38).  What I noticed today as I read the passage about Mary's visit to Elizabeth is the confirmation that Elizabeth gives Mary as she makes her loud Spirit-filled exclamation. " And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord ." (Luke 1:45). Gabriel didn't say anything to Mary once she accepted the message he gave her.  He departed. (Luke 1:38).  ...

Luke 2: 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34  “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of ...

It is the first Sunday in Advent but I've been walking the road to Bethlehem already for awhile.  Why? How?  Well, two weeks ago, the City of Selkirk put up a nativity scene made out of clear lights on white plastic silhouettes a few blocks down on my street.  Almost daily I walk past it and think about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.  Two things strike me about it.  First, it is kind of hard to see the Holy Family clearly.  Or maybe a better way to put it is that it is hard to see each person in the Holy Family distinctly.  It's just the way the nativity scene was made with Mary cradling Jesus and Joseph hovering near by.  This lack of distinctiveness motivates me on a project that is long overdue: to take time this Advent to think about Mary (more to come on that in the weeks to come....).  The second thing that intrigues me about our "little Bethlehem scene" is that it is located very near the new homeless shelter,...

The wind is howling as I sit down to write this.  Today we are having a shift in the weather.  When I woke up it was a balmy 0 and it is going down to -17 tonight.  Storms raging.  Things changing.  This is similar to life.  Even though I don't know all the details of your life last week, I am pretty sure there have been some trials and shifts, some unexpected challenges and adjustments. Yet through it all.... Jesus is King. Today (Sunday, Nov 23) we celebrated Christ the King Sunday or the Reign of Christ.  It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year.  Whereas next week we will find ourselves preparing for the journey to Bethlehem, today we stand before the judgement seat of Christ the King  (Matthew 25:31-46 ).  We acknowledge Him as the Shepherd and we are His sheep ( Ezekiel 34:11-12 ; Psalm 100 ).  We proclaim His supremacy over all: "15  For this reason, because I have heard of you...

Since I go to St. Margaret's Anglican Church in Winnipeg, I get to hear about St. Margaret of Scotland (wife of Malcolm III) every year around this time.  Today (Nov 16) is the feast day for St. Margaret and I have been intrigued by what I have learned about her piece by piece.... year by year. Today what stood out to me was the way that Margaret rubbed shoulders with (well, actually washed the feet of) the poor.  What do I mean?  Tradition tells us that it was her practice to have orphans and the poor come to the castle for a meal or to have their feet washed.  She did this in imitation of Jesus and in obedience to His Word.  The Gospel reading for today was Matthew 25:31-40 . When I imagine the situation, I am struck by the idea of a queen inviting in the poor and destitute to be fed by her and King Malcolm.  Did they sit down and eat together?  Probably not as "it is recorded that she never sat down to eat without f...

One of the fun things about having teenagers is that I am thinking more about my life as a teen.  Since November 10th marks the 30th anniversary of my first date with my first boyfriend, yesterday morning I decided to read my journal from that part of my life.  Well, once I started reading, I keep going so that I ended up covering most of Grade 10-12 before breakfast.  My reaction? Let's just say I wasn't impressed.  Was I ever boy-crazy.... and superficial! My head started spinning with questions .... why was I so needy?  what was I thinking in that situation? who was that person - is that really me?  I started down the road of judgement when I realized I had a choice: shame or celebration .  I chose the latter and my questioning and condemning turned to thanksgiving.  I thanked God for His grace in my life, His good gifts - including my amazing husband, His long-suffering with me, His protection, and His provision...

I went to a funeral this week.  It was a sad yet hopeful event.  The woman who died was a follower of Jesus and was described by many as someone who exhibited the fruit of the Spirit.  She died suddenly and her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will miss her but they also are looking forward to a day when they will see her again in heaven.  Going to that funeral and then it being All Saints day today, I am thinking about those who have gone before us to be with the Lord as well as looking ahead to that day when we will be before God's throne all together. I thought I would share with you all one of the readings for All Saints Day: Revelation 7:9-17 "After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation b...

Yes.... it has been awhile.  The main reason for my lack of blogging has been starting a full-time job at the women's shelter where I have worked casual for the last 3 years and a move (within the City of Selkirk).  Now that we are settled and I am getting used to my routine, I'm hoping to start blogging regularly again. What motivated me to sit down and write tonight?  Bedtime Bible reading with Tim.  I read a familiar passage - the feeding of the five thousand ( Luke 9:10-17 ).  As I read it to Tim, I was struck afresh by the amazing provision of God for His servants.   The apostles were validly concerned for the crowd.  They needed food.  So, they assessed the situation and took the logical step: tell Jesus what to do.  Why is this logical?  Well, they saw the problem (hungry people) and say the solution (send them to villages and farms to get food) and they knew how to get the message communicated (get Jesus to tell them s...

The Bible is full of characters.  People whose lives would get many viewers if they were on a reality TV show.  Jacob is one of these.  A swindler and usurper, Jacob deceives his own father to steal the blessing of his older twin brother, Esau.  In haste and fearing for his life, he takes off to his uncle's place where he ends up meeting and falling in love with his cousin.  Unfortunately, tradition prevails and when he wakes up on the morning after the wedding, he is in for a surprise.  As the Bible puts it: "In the morning.... It was Leah!"   He does get to marry the younger sister Rachel as well but jealousy and a competitive spirit mark their home.  Between the sisters and their servants, Jacob fathers 11 sons and 1 daughter.  But there is trouble with his uncle's sons.... they think Jacob is tricking their Dad out of their inheritance as Jacob's flocks increase more than their. So he is on the run again, this time he goes back home. Bu...

(Adapted from a sermon I wrote for today.) Have you heard? Action Comics #1 will be auctioned on eBay from August 14 to 24. Why is this a big deal? Well, this specific comic – issue #1 is considered the beginning of superhero comics. Which has lead to superhero toys, movies, and even backpacks and lunch kits. This is the comic that introduced Superman to the world. Guess how much it cost when it was released in 1938..... 10 Cents. Guess how much they expect this one to go for? Well, how about I tell you that the last issue of this same comic that was auctioned off and was in near perfect condition went for $2.16 million in 2011. Since this one is in even better condition – still has all white pages – the 2.16 million one had some yellowing pages... well, some think it will go for even more than that! Imagine spending 2 or 2.5 or 3 million dollars on a comic?! Is Action Comics #1 – the comic where Superman first appeared - The pearl of great price? Is it worth s...

  " May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Corinthians 13:14 This was part of the Epistle reading for last Sunday - the Sunday in which we celebrate and adore the Trinity.  It's a wonderful verse because we see all three Persons of the Trinity (if we take "God" to be "God the Father") and some of the wonderful gifts that the Trinity shares with us.  I have not studied much on the Trinity but I know that the emphasis on Trinitarian theology of the last number of years has helped individually-minded Christians (like me!) repent of independence and consider our place in the Body of Christ - that we are interdependent and united.  We are one in Christ even though we have so many differences. This move from Trinitarian theology to Ecclesiology (theology of Church) motivated me to take a second look at this verse from 2 Corinthians.  Often when I hear ...

Wondering what is on my mind by the title of this week's blog?  I'll give you three hints: 1. John 7:37-39 2. John 3:7-8 3. Acts 2:1-4 If you said, "The Holy Spirit," you are correct!  Or maybe you said,  "Tracy is thinking about how elements of the physical world are used as symbols of the Holy Spirit in Scripture.  She is also wondering what that means for our lives and how we could remember to walk in the Spirit in the midst of our summer days spent in the water, feeling the wind, and sitting by camp fires." If you did, you have me figured out! It is starting to feel like summer in Manitoba and with that comes more socializing (possibly many hot dogs roasted over fires), time at the beach with the sun in our eyes and the wind on our faces, and, hopefully, a more laid back pace of life.  But the change of weather and lifestyle doesn't mean that we are any less dependent on God's Spirit for the love, power, and strength to ...

We are over half way between celebrating the Ascension of Christ (May 29) and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (June 8).  I went to an Ascension service last week and was surprised when the priest started to talk about the coming of the Spirit.  "Hey!" I thought, "Isn't this service about Jesus' exaltation as Lord over everything?"  As in the Collect we had already prayed: "Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord."  (BAS page 343) But then the priest brought us to John 16:7 "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send him to you." So, the Ascension and Pentecost are inextricably linked.  This turned my thoughts to when I first became aware of my need for the Holy Spirit in my life.  Interestingly, it was right at the same time that I...

With a title like that, you may be wondering how I am doing.  Life has been quite good recently.  I am enjoying spring - particularly that I haven't seen a mosquito yet!  For some reason, however, I have been having difficultly sitting down to blog.  I have too many ideas but none are well enough formed.  So I thought I would share with you the verse that has been lingering in my mind over the last two weeks: John 16:33 (ESV)  Jesus says, "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world." I'm not even sure how I ended up at this verse.  I was having a grumpy day and needed to remember that trouble/trials/tribulation are a normal part of life.  Jesus says I will have them.... why would I expect differently?  I was never one to have an accepting attitude to suffering.  One of my main responses to things not going wel...

I hope you all had a meaningful and joyful Easter!  I did.  What I will probably remember most from this year is a 4 year old boy weeping.  Timmy and I invited some friends to come to our "Walk through the Passion" for children at our church on  Good Friday.  This was the first time our little friend and his 7 year old brother had ever been in church.  They enjoyed the re-enactment of the Last Supper and even sat to get their feet washed.  They loved that they got to snuff out candles as they moved from station to station.  But then came the bad news... Jesus was crucified.  He died.  And tears started to roll down our little friends face. I thought it was because he didn't get to blow out the candle at the cross but he continued to cry through the procession to the tomb in the basement of the church and when we all blew out our candles.  I asked his Mom what was wrong and she said he was sad because Jesus died.  So I cr...

Here we are on Maundy Thursday and I'm still talking about Ash Wednesday!  But we have finally come to the part of the service where the ashes are imposed and I think it draws our hearts to a humble place which prepares us for these next few days.  So we will continue on with the service. (Note: the bold print is what the congregation says.) The celebrant prayers " Almighty God, from the dust of the earth you have created us. May these ashes be for us a sign of our mortality and penitence, and a reminder that only by your gracious gift are we given eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen ." Then those who desire to receive ashes come forward and the ashes are applied to the forehead of each person as the celebrant says: "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." After everyone who desires to receive the ashes has, the celebrant leads the congregation in the conclusion of the confession "Accomplish in us, O God, the ...

The Litany of Penitence Celebrant "Most holy and merciful Father, we confess to you, to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, and min, and strength.  We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.  We have not forgiven others and we have been forgiven." Response Have mercy on us, Lord. Then what follows is a litany of confession with responses "Have mercy on us, Lord" "We confess to you, Lord" "Accept our repentance, Lord" "Hear us, Lord, for your mercy is great." I really want to reflect on this litany but I don't have time.  I have just finished a very busy week and am heading into a trip early tomorrow morning.  I really need to go to bed.  But I also need to make sure I am willing to confess and repent of my ow...

Psalm 51 :  The psalm of David after Nathan confronted him regarding Bathsheba is next in the Ash Wednesday liturgy.  The refrain is " Create in me a clean heart, O God " (verse 10a).  This reading prepares us for the Litany of Penitence (which we will get to next week).  It helps us to be honest and hopeful as we confess our sin. Honest: This Psalm models honesty with God and with ourselves.  Verse 3 "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me."   I find it interesting to think about this in light of the fact that God already knows our sin.  We don't need to confess our sin to Him to make Him aware of it like a child who confesses to stealing money from her Dad's wallet and he had not idea she did it. Confessing our sin is admitting it so that we are agreeing with God about our actions, thoughts or words.  But it  takes a lot of courage to be honest with ourselves about our sin. ...

As we continue through the Ash Wednesday service, next would be the sermon.  But it is optional so I will move on to the next section: Here the celebrant says (page 281-282) " Dear friends in Christ, every year at the time of the Christian Passover we celebrate our redemption through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lent is the time to prepare for this celebration and to renew out life in the paschal mystery. We begin this holy season by remembering our need for repentance, and for the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ . We begin our journey to Easter with the sign of ashes, an ancient sign, speaking of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and marking the penitence of the community as a whole. I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God. Let us kneel before our Creator ...

One of the things I love about blogging is learning.  As I get ideas for blogs or start to study a passage, I often realize that things are different than I remembered or that passages say things I hadn't noticed before.  This is my experience with the Ash Wednesday service from the BAS today.  I was all excited because I wanted to reflect on the passage in which the celebrant exhorts us to "observe a holy Lent" (page 282) because in my memory, that is what came next. But I was wrong. Right after the Collect comes the Readings.  There are four readings for Ash Wednesday: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12 Psalm 103:8-18 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 I love these readings but there is one that stands out to me as "the Ash Wednesday Reading".  I think it is because I first heard this passage preached on in an Ash Wednesday service whereas I was familiar with the other passages as they had already impacted me at v...

Yes, I do know what day it is today... Tuesday, March 11th.  It is not Ash Wednesday.  But I still want to talk about Ash Wednesday.  In fact, I may focus all my blogs over this year's Lenten season on the liturgy of the Ash Wednesday service from the Book of Alternative Services (the BAS online can be found here ).  Why?  Just because I love it.  Why do I love it?  Well, maybe I'll get to the bottom of that as I meditate on the prayers and passages of this service. So, let's start at the beginning (page 281). Celebrant: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Celebrant: Let us pray. "Almighty and everlasting God, you despise nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our brokenness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who live...

There is a part of a worship song that often plays through my mind when I start to think about God's love.  It is from the song, " One Thing Remains ", and the chorus goes like this: "Your love never fails, never gives up.  Never runs out on me" I am captivated and comforted by the truth that God's love is unfailing.  There are two aspects of this that are so significant to me: 1) God's love never ends, never runs out. It " endures forever " as the Psalmist repeats over and over again in Psalm 136  helping us to get the point.  Nothing can happen that will make God's love stop. This is what I discussed in my January 23rd blog about God's love being everlasting.  It is also what Paul was so confident about and expresses in Romans 8:38-39 . 2) The second aspect of God's love being unfailing is that His love is sufficient.  It is enough. Human love is often small and tainted with fear, selfishness, or pride. The love of G...